Supramolecular assemblies of polymer compounds than contain moieties able to form hydrogen bonds are known in the art.
For instance, CORDIER, Philippe, et al. Self-healing and thermoreversible rubber from supramolecular assembly. Nature Letters. 21 Feb. 2001, vol. 451, p. 977-980. disclose supramolecular assemblies containing oligomers obtained by reaction of mixtures of fatty acids, namely mono-, di- and triacids, from natural resources with diethylene triamine and urea. These oligomers are able to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds and, when admixed with a certain amount of dodecane, behave like rubbers and exhibit self-healing properties, i.e. they are able to self-repair without the need to heat or press strongly.
Similarly, WO 03/059964 A (ATOFINA) 24 Jun. 2003 discloses supramolecular polymer assemblies joined together through hydrogen bonds, wherein the polymers derive from fatty acids and contain ethylene-diamino or propylene-diamino and urea moieties for use as rheological modifiers in paints or lining or as additives for adjusting the fluidity of epoxy-paints.
WO 2006/087475 A (ARKEMA FRANCE) 24 Aug. 2006 discloses materials comprising fatty acid derivatives having at least three associative functional groups able to form intermolecular bonds, in particular hydrogen bonds. Said materials become fluid above a certain temperature and, upon cooling, they exhibit again rubber elasticity and are taught to be self-repairing.
WO 2006/016041 A (ARKEMA; CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RESERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS)) 16 Feb. 2006 discloses a polymeric material consisting of macromolecular chains joined together through hydrogen bonds, wherein the macromolecular chains are made of a polymer skeleton containing a modifying agent, namely imidazolidone, joined to the polymer chain through —C(O)O—, —OC(O)—, —C(O)NH—, —NH(CO)—, C(O), —O—, —S— and —NH— bridges. Polymer skeletons are preferably selected from polyolefines, polydienes, polyvinyles, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyesters, polyamides, polyethers, polycarbonates, polysiloxanes and polyurethanes. The presence of a modifying agent allows to increase the elastic module in a broad temperature range and allows to increase resistance to solvents.
WO 99/019080 A (NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY) 22 Apr. 1999 relates to a composition comprising carbon dioxide and a fluoropolyether, preferably a perfluoropolyether (PFPE), for protecting civil infrastructures. The fluoropolyether may have an anchoring group covalently joined thereto, at one or both ends of the polymer chain; among anchoring groups, amides, in particular a monoamide of a PFPE with isopropylamine, a diamide of a PFPE having one carboxy function with ethylendiamine and a diamide with 1,6-hexane diamine are mentioned.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,617 A (MONTEDISON SPA) 8 Apr. 1974 discloses elastomeric polymers comprising polyamido groups in the macromolecular chain; such polymers can be obtained by reaction of a PFPE containing one carboxy group at each polymer end having formula: HOOC—CF2O(C2F4O)1—(CF2O)n—CF2COOH
with a diamine. These polymers can be cross-linked to form elastomers with excellent mechanical properties, high elasticity and flexibility at low temperature and good chemical and thermal stability.
GB 1351321 A (MONTEDISON SPA) 24 Apr. 1974 discloses diarylamides of mono- or di-carboxy PFPEs; these amides can be used as lubricants or heat-exchange fluids, as they can withstand high temperatures and high shearing stresses for high periods.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,425 (SONY CORPORATION) discloses PFPE derivatives useful as lubricants for magnetic recording media; the PFPE lubricants are obtained by reaction PFPEs having a carboxyl group at one or both ends with monoamines or diamines.
Neither WO99/019080 A, nor U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,617 A, nor GB 1351321, nor U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,425 disclose or suggest the reaction of PFPEs containing more than two carboxy groups with a polyamine.
EP 0969023 A (E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND CO) relates to functionalized thermoplastic fluoropolymers which are said to crosslinkable by a thermal process. In particular, example 1 discloses a composition comprising an ETFE copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride and a polyamine, namely p-phenylenediamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,452 (E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY) relates to perfluoroelastomer compositions which are said to possess high thermal stability. In particular, claim 21 discloses a composition comprising a perfluoroelastomer having a plurality of carbonyl-containing functional groups in admixture with a definite amount of a curing agent other than an organotin curing agent. Claims 29-33 specify that the curing agent can be a polyamine.
Neither EP 0969023 nor U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,452 disclose or suggest compositions based on PFPE containing more than two carboxy groups that can be crosslinked with a polyamine.
WO 2010/049365 (SOLVAY SOLEXIS SPA) relates to fluorinated thermoplastic polymer additives for reducing the coefficient of friction of non-fluorinated polymers. The fluorinated polymers comprise fluorinated segments and hydrogenated segments, and are obtainable by a reaction of polycondensation, polyaddition in stages or polyaddition of:                a (per)fluoropolyether having two functional end groups able to give reactions of condensation or addition with hydrogenated coreactants and        a hydrogenated coreactant.        
The resulting polymer comprises at least a hydrogenated phase having a melting point of at least 25° C.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,306 (AUSIMONT SPA) discloses cross-linkable formulations containing a fluoropolyether which comprises a fluorine-containing part RF and optionally a hydrogenated part RH, wherein the bonds joining the fluorine-containing part RF and the hydrogenated part RH is a —C—O—C— bond and wherein the hydrogenated part RH does not contain groups capable of linking by means of hydrogen bonds to basis acceptors.